The time is (hopefully) nigh when local Pierce County residents and the State of Wisconsin more generally (plus Minnesota!) can begin to get back to normal in the nearest sense possible. As such, the City of River Falls and its government have released a blueprint for how the recovery from COVID19 and its public health as well as economic impacts might look.

Entitled “Crushing COVID-19: a guide to recovery,” the local bounce back plan with the names of Mayor Dan Toland and City Administrator Scot Simpson appended to it will potentially start to be rolled out after May 26, when the State of Wisconsin’s Safer At Home Order is currently due to expire (unless extended). In seeking to recover from the economic impact in phases, the City or River Falls will tentatively follow the State’s move through the different phases, although this could be changed or rolled back on the local level if public health is compromised. Should the expiration of the Stay-At Home Order indeed happen at the state level on May 26, the City of River Falls lists five core functions the City intends to focus on during the response to and recovery from COVID-19. These are;

• Delivering quality public safety services

• Supporting the local economy and business community

• Connecting the community to resources

• Maintaining infrastructure and providing safe utilities

• Ensuring organizational resilience In order to achieve this, the following principles will serve to guide the way;

• Being adaptable in the face of change and uncertainty

• Capitalizing on opportunities for improvement

• Removing barriers

• Applying lessons learned in response

• Aligning, collaborating, and innovating with partners Currently all city facilities are closed with the exception of city playgrounds and sporting courts (“use at own risk; no groups”), park open shelters (also at own risk for families/households, must be less than 10 people), open-space parks (with social distancing), library curbside service, and the City’s compost site. Such is the current state of city affairs outside of business closures, but with the Mayor’s approval and pending the expiration of the State’s Stay-At-Home Order, Phase One of the local bounce back plan could proceed. What might that look like?

In the first place, the now closed City Hall would be open with social distancing controls, while park bathroom facilities, city playgrounds and sporting courts, the Tri-Angels Playground, Dog Park, City swimming pool, Splashpad, Park Open shelters, both the Glen Park and Hoffman Park pavilions, Open space parks, and the library computer room, would be open to groups of less than ten people, with all park shelter groups limited to family/households. Self-contained camping would be allowed on the city campground. Festivals, parades, and spectator activities, however, “will not be authorized,” with the likelihood that sporting events and runs will also “not be authorized” as well. Such is the state of city facilities opening when the stayat- home order expires and phase one of reopening begins. What of local businesses?

In order to mitigate the economic impact, included in the practical measures of the local bounce back plan are the establishment of 30-minute parking zones on Main Street to enable curbside takeout and pickup. In addition, the city has undertaken the drafting of a local business loan program for the Council’s consideration, per the local bounce back plan. Proactive outreach contacts have also been made to more than 200 businesses, and the City is partnering with the local Chamber of Commerce to help maintain the Chamber’s webpage as well as assess the local economy and help businesses through successive phases.

The recovery plan is foreseen to take from six to twelve months, and the City of River Falls asks for patience as stated in the conclusion of its plan to Crush COVID-19.

“The City of River Falls is committed to supporting the community during the COVID-19 pandemic,” the plan’s conclusion states. “As we look toward the next 12 months and beyond, City staff will continue to focus on its core functions, guided by principles that include flexibility, adaptability, innovation, and collaboration. At the same time, we will continue to meet the goals outlined in the City’s 2019-2021 strategic plan. This will ensure that, when this pandemic recedes, we have made the progress necessary to keep our City not only functioning but ready for future growth and development.

This plan cannot be accomplished without the support of our community. We are beyond saddened by the hardships our residents and businesses have endured during this pandemic, but are so grateful for your patience, diligence, and willingness to protect and care for one another. We are a resilient, caring community and will get through this time together.”